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Kal kept crying with Lilian beside him. He even muttered something while crying.
She couldnât hear him because of his cries, but he seemed to be calling to his parents.
âDonât go.â
Even if Lilian fluttered her body for a little, she could hear his pitiful voice. Eventually, Lilian listened to Kalâs murmurs until the sun came up.
Kal no longer felt lonely.
***
She regrets that day. The day she went to stay by his side without leaving Kal while he was crying alone.
ââŠKal?â
It seemed that the Kal she saw then was stuck inside her cloudy eyes. This couldnât be true.
In front of Yvonne, who drowned herself with poison, she saw Kal with a distorted expression. A look that resembled the boy from the past.
But⊠thatâs not Kal. Heâs Karloi. This is also a dream, as there is no way that Kaloi would make that expression.
Yvonne closed her eyes again. She was in a dream, a place where no one can bother her.
***
By the time the sun had risen, she had found out a few things about Kal.
That he was a very precious child and someone wanted something from his house, causing him to be kidnapped.
âHow long do we have to hold on to that little boy? We havenât been contacted since we received the advance payment.â
âI told you to wait just a little. Besides, donât you know? If things go wrong, our necks will fly.â
âHuh, Iâm so unluckyâŠâ
However, she found out a few things while running errands for the thugs these past few days. The deal with Kalâs parents is not very good.
She thought that the time might come when the thugs had to kill Kal.
Kal took Lilianâs advice several days to shut up and stay quiet, but he began to rebel again after a while.
He seemed to have noticed that the situation was not going in his favor.
Being so persistent, Kal was caught trying to escape three times and got beaten.
Kal, whose mouth was violently shut when he was struck, acted tough and cried only after the thugs disappeared. He was a man with dirty pride.
âGet lost.â
The harsh words flowed through the sound of his cries. It seemed to be a curse to Lilian.
âGet lost.â
No matter how much Lilian took care of his wounds, brought him food, and stayed with him at night, his fundamental resentment against Lilian did not disappear.
In a place full of blood and tears, Lilian, the only one who had humanity, seemed to not be enough for him as if he hates her for not giving much help.
âDonât go.â
Then, if Lilian tried to leave again, Kal would catch her without fail. Sometimes, Lilian used to think, is this the feeling of a mother bird watching a baby bird?
âI was wrongâŠdonât go.â
Who can walk away from a boy who showed such pretty golden eyes filled with tears?
Perhaps, if Kal showed this side to the thugs, they might release him. No matter how much blood or tears there is, isnât there a sense of beauty?
âYouâll be able to get out soon. No matter how long youâve been here, youâll be back home in the end.â
Lilian comforted him awkwardly. It was actually a lie.
Some people returned as corpses, and some people couldnât return and were thrown into the dark forest somewhere.
The dark forest was the place where the trees grew from the body as nourishment.
Kalâs cry stopped as if the lies he heard were comforting him.
â⊠Why are you helping those bastards.â
âMy mother is very sick. She needs medicine, but I have no other place to get money.â
Lilian replied coldly as though she had prepared the answer. She doesnât know if she had to be so detailed about it.
Lilian probably wanted to keep making excuses to this boy, that sheâs not a bad person, and she canât help it because her mother is sick.
She didnât expect a response. She thought heâd laughed or be sarcastic.
She thought he might say something like, âOh yeah, my bad, I forgot youâre the only person with a sick parent, so you have to do something like this?â
ââŠHow sick is she?â
Though Kal didnât, his expression became strange. The words that were lined up as excuses stabbed Lilian in the face due to Kalâs sincere acceptance.
Lilianâs mother, Denise, was indeed very sick.
Her throat choked up, trying to explain how sick she is.
âSheâll get better soon.â
Kal said awkwardly. Is it consolation, or is he sincere? It seemed to feel like the comfort Lilian had told him previously.
Seeing Lilian, who had become gloomy without an answer, Kal wriggled in discomfort.
âHow much money do you need?â
âI donât know. A lot. They said that she would need more expensive medicine later on.â
Lilianâs words were blurred, and there was no longer a sound coming out from her mouth.
Lilianâs feelings of depression and despair could be felt from her sudden silence.
Kal thought maybe there was a reason why Lilian spent time with him each time.
As the person talking next to him kept her mouth shut, Kal became more uncomfortable since the silence makes the fear more vivid.
ââŠSearch my pants.â
What Kal asked after a long silence was strange. Search for what? Lilian hesitantly grabbed his pants pocket, but Kal shook his head.
âNot in my pocket, in my pants.â
Seeing Lilianâs face turned red, Kal frowned at her.
âWhat are you thinking? Itâs not in my underwear. Itâs in my pants.â
âWhatâs the difference if itâs not in your underwear, you idiot.â
However, Lilian, as if he was a bold boy who knew no shame, put her hand inside Kalâs pants.
There was something around the waist. It was a pocket.
âWhat is this?â
âOpen it.â
Inside, there was a brooch that looked very expensive.
Even for Lilian, who knows nothing, it had a sparkle that only the real thing could exude. The brooch alone sparkled in a dark room.
When he was being beaten, he would crouch too much. It seems he had something to protect.
âIf you take it and sell it, youâll get money.â
Kalâs way of speaking was blunt as if he was not the giver, but some that had torn it off.
Lilian stared at him blankly, not understanding Kalâs tone and what he said.
âAre you stupid? You said you need money!â
As Kal screamed due to frustration, Lilian realized that he was indicating that he was giving it to her, but why?
Lilian was a street child. She was also well aware that these things donât come for free unless she steals them.
âEven if you give me something like this, I canât release you.â
ââŠâ
âIt would be so obvious that Iâm the one who freed you, and those thugs wouldnât leave my mom and me alone.â
Lilian handed the pouch back nicely, but Kal turned his head, annoyed.
âWho wants something? Itâs better than being taken by them anyway, so keep it yourself!â
â⊠Really? I really canât let you go.â
âDo you think Iâd expect anything from a guy like you who cares for the bad guys?â
Wow⊠Seeing him speak so harshly, it looked like she could get it for free. Kal really didnât seem to expect anything from her.
Lilian felt strange again. Like the day she first saw Kal. How could she do this?
When heâs caught, he still has the spirit to tell her to run away, and even now, heâs giving her something that she canât even guess how expensive it is, something he cherished even while getting beaten.
Heâs a crazy guy.
Heâs a weird guy.
How could she?
The thought of Kal getting caught up in her little head. Whether he knows or not, he still has a distinctive blunt face.
âYou said Iâll be able to go out anyway. So, I donât need it.â
Does he believe Lilianâs lies? Lilianâs chest tightened because of guilt, but she had to take what she needed.
Kal snorted as seeing her finely putting the pouch in her pocket.
âYou really donât expect anything from me, right?â
âNo, there isnât!â
Kal muttered to himself as he looked at Lilianâs smile without any shame with his annoyed face.
ââŠDonât just come at night. Come often.â
It was a whisper that wouldnât have been heard if it wasnât for the quietness. Lilian nodded when she saw Kalâs red ears.
Selling this would make her mother better, so she was able to accompany Kal for the night. It was a surplus business. Lou was good at calculating.
Lilian Lou wasnât materially affluent, but there were a few personality traits to be proud of. She is agile, gutsy, and has a sense of profit and loss.
However, fourteen years after Lilian Lou became Yvonne Delois, her good traits changed naturally.
Fourteen years was by no means a short time, and it was also possible for one person to become a very different person.
Yvonne Delois was able to reach the highest level of her numbness by enduring the Duke for fourteen years.
To kill emotions, sensations, and even thoughts without a single reaction. To put it nicely, it might just be called patience.
With her dull sensation, the pain seemed to feel like someone elseâs, so she was comfortable with it.
It seems like she canât see anything that she was able to see⊠that has nothing to do with herâŠ
She whispered to herself as if she couldnât see Karloiâs disgusting look towards her.
âWell, Her Majesty. His Majesty has ordered not to participate in this eventâŠâ
She canât seem to hear anything she doesnât care about.
âItâs a good thing to become an Empress and not give money to the Imperial property.â
âYour Majesty, the Empress listens.â
âItâs none of my business.â
In a place where there are so many people, she deceived herself as though she couldnât hear the sharp words of Karloi, who wanted to insult her.
Like she endured all the violence of the Duke.
âIf you look carefully, it seems that you are still the daughter of the Duke, not the Empress.â
This is nothing. If you stay still, this will also pass.
âYour father, the Duke, has made a public outcry that you and I donât even eat together. Is the Empress not surprised how he knows so much about our affairs?â
Someday it will pass, so just be quietâŠ
âI donât feel well. Letâs just have a meal together.â
âYes.â
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âWhat do you mean, yes? I havenât even finished my words.â
âYes.â
Yvonne woke up and lifted her head at the cold sensation that stopped even her brainwashing herself.
Karloi was looking at Yvonne with a stiff face. Yvonne only realized her mistake.